Hi & Vanakkam!

Putting together your palms, facing each other, in a slightly cone like shape, chest high and the finger tips just below chin level, is the welcome gesture that accompanies the "Vanakkam". Add on a pleasant smile. You then have India's classic welcome ensemble.

”You can take the Indian out of India but you can’t take India out of the Indian”. This is so true of all of us immigrants, right?-about anybody who is born & grows up in one country and then migrates & lives in another. I’m sure you know what I am saying.

My wife & I have been out of India nearly half our lives now, but hey, there is a lot about India that I still cherish. India to me is a fountainhead of history, culture, rituals, colors, dance, food, and a million other things. India draws people from all over the world who want to experience that exotic cocktail that is India.

So, now that we are based in Toronto in Canada, we thought it would be great to share the artistic creations of India with the western world and launched Artikrti on Etsy, the portal for handmade products. The warm welcome that we got there, prompted us to launch our own website and here we are.

Thank you for letting us share this milestone of Artikrti's launch into the big wide [virtual] world, with you. Btw, if you'd like to say Vanakkam or Namaste back to us and wish us luck, do check out our blog here or our Facebook page. We hope to share some interesting things and times with you in the future. If you like what you see, we certainly would welcome a 'Like'.

If you share our passion for India or even if you are just a shade curious about India, join the conversation- here on our Culture Connect Blog or our Facebook page. If you choose to pick up a bauble or some bling or a piece of art, that would be awesome. Join us in taking India to the world.